1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, temporarily removing a product from a series of products being transported, for example, for subjecting the product to a treatment.
More particularly, the invention relates to a method of temporarily removing a product from a series of products being successively supplied by a supply conveyor, in which the product to be removed is taken over from said supply conveyor by a movable carrier disposed in a starting position in the vicinity of said supply conveyor, the carrier with the product is removed from the starting position, and thereafter the carrier with the product is returned to the starting position, where the product is placed from the carrier back into the series.
2. Discussion Of The Prior Art
A method of this kind is described in German patent No. 1,531,898. That patent describes a method of transporting cases, boxes and the like, supplied by a roller conveyor to storage racks disposed along one side of the roller conveyor. For this purpose, the roller conveyor has a segment that is movable transversely to the roller track to a given storage rack. Placed within the roller supply path, the segment constitutes a portion of the supply path. When an object carried by the roller track must be transported to the store, the segment with the object on it is moved transversely to the supply track to the storage rack in question, where the object is removed from the roller segment and stored in the rack. The roller segment is coupled to a second roller segment which when the first is removed from the supply track takes its place in the supply track, thereby maintaining the continuity of the supply roller track. For moving the objects over the roller track segments, the rollers thereof are driven by motors mounted on the segments. The segments can also be used the other way around for returning an object from the rack to the conveyor. For supplying an object from the conveyor to a given rack, it is necessary that, of a coupled pair of roller segments, the leading segment (as viewed in the direction of movement to the rack) carries the object from the supply path, and the trailing segment occupies the place left in the conveyor. When the object has been transferred from the segment to the rack, the pair of segments must be returned into their original position relative to the conveyor before another object can be transferred from the conveyor to the same rack. The reverse applies when objects are to be returned from a given rack to the conveyor. The prior apparatus is therefore in essence only suitable for removing goods incidentally supplied by a roller conveyor, in particular for transporting goods to different storage racks, with each rack being serviced by its own pair of roller segments. The rollers of the pairs of segments are driven by motors for passing an object supplied by the roller track onto or over the roller segment, or returning an object from the rack, carried by the segment, back onto the main roller conveyor.